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Comparing Rossina and Voltati in ca Rosina
William A. Smith notes the similarity between these choreographies in his concordance, but chose to keet them separate. I would like to see them together.
Side-by-side comparison makes it clear that they're essentially the same dance - far larger variations exist in versions of dances with identical names.
Background
Voltati in ca Rosina and Rossina each survive in only a single manuscript in the Gulielmo/Ambrosio tradition (PnA and NYp, respectively). Voltati in ca survives with music, Rossina does not.
William A. Smith noted the similarity between these choreographies in his concordance, but chose to keet them separate. I would like to see them together.
Side-by-side comparison makes it clear that they're the same dance.
Comparison
In English, in abbreviated form, to facilitate comparison of figures and steps.
| Rossina | Voltati in ca Rosina | Differences | |||
| Type | Balletto | Ballo | Ballo and balletto don't appear strongly distinguished | ||
| Genders | man - woman - man | woman - man - woman | Evidence of swapping gender-balance to suit needs of context? | ||
| Advance together | 2 doppii with meze riprese | advancing together, then turning back | 2 doppii in quadernaria | advancing together | |
| 2 doppii | returning to start | 2 doppii | in voltatonda | minor variation: same steps, similar figure | |
| Chase | ssd | woman advances | ssd | middle (man) departs | |
| ssd | men catch up, woman turning back | ssd | women catch up, man turns | ||
| Separate | 2 doppii, mezavolta | separating, end facing | 2 tempi saltarelli, mezavolta | separating, end facing | |
| 2 riprese, voltatonda (doppio) | facing | 2 ripresa, voltatonda (doppio) | facing | ||
| continentia, small riverentia | facing | 4 continentie | facing | minor variation: similar steps, same function (display in place) | |
| Return | ssd, small riverentia | approaching | ssd | approaching | |
| 3 passiti | backwards | doppio R | backwards | Different words to describe similar movement | |
| doppio turning | voltatonda L | ||||
| ripresa, continentia | ripresa R | ||||
| doppio turning, ripresa | this repeated phrase may be in error? the only line that would not match the same music | ||||
| put the left foot forward | lower to the ground | riverentia | low to the ground | Different words to describe similar movement | |
| 2 continentie, doppio turning | 4 continentie | minor variation: similar steps, same function (display in place) | |||
| Piva | 4T piva | circling, RH, woman and man to her right | 4T piva | circling, man with woman on right side | |
| 4T piva | circling, LH, woman and man to her left | 4T piva | circling, man with woman on left side | ||
| 8T piva | "spine of the fish" (hey?) resulting in the men changing places | 8T piva | all three "in the style of a snake" (hey?) such that the man stays in the middle | most likely different words to describe same figure | |
| Repeat | Finish | Some MSS habitually indicate repeats, others do not. |
Conclusions
"Rossina" and "Voltati in ca Rosina" are the same dance. The steps and figures are nearly identical, and they could easily be performed to the same music.
Minor variations - compatible with same music
Where differences exist, they're easily within the normal range of variation you expect to see between MSS. Most differences are either minor ornamental variations performing similar functions (e.g. 4 continentie, vs 2 continentie and a turn - both serving to display in place); or what appears to be different language to describe a similar movement (3 passiti backwards vs a doppio backwards). In some cases where Rossina appears to have an additional gesture, it could easily be accommodated as an ornament in the vuodo, and so be compatible with the same music (e.g. steps which finish with "a small riverentia").
Major difference - not compatible with same music
Rossina includes a repeat of the doppio and ripresa in the central section. These additional steps have no corresponding figure in Voltati in ca Rosina. I believe - given the extremely close correspondence through the rest of the dance - that this is likely an error. Perhaps an accidental repeat of a line, by a careless scribe? I'm working from William A. Smith's concordance - a look at a facsimile is in order to tell how likely this is.
The lines
- poi facino un dopio in vola in sul pie mancho poi facino una ripresa poi una chontinenza
- poi facino un dopio in vola in sul pie mancho poi facino una ripresa poi
Gender
Both dances specify gender, but Rossina calls for two men and one woman, Voltati for two women and one man. Does this give us evidence (rare in the 15thC sources, though not uncommon in the 16thC) of flexibility - willingness to swap the gender-balance of a dance to suit the needs of a particular social situation, perhaps?
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